Post Oral Food Challenge or Struggles with Soy

Disclaimer: This content is not intended as medical advice. .As always, contact your allergist or medical professional with any medical questions you may have and follow the medical advice they give. This is simply our experience.

It's been two months since James passed his soy challenge. The directions we were given were to make sure he consumed soy 2-4 times a month. According to this article, about one third of patients do not regularly consume their former allergens after passing an oral food challenge. This matters because to avoid a recurrent allergy, the research says one needs to regularly consume the former allergen.

The nurse asked why we even challenged soy, since it is an issue to keep it in the diet for most (soy lecithin, soy bean oil, soy sauce all do not count because they are low in protein. Many who are allergic can eat soybean oil and lecithin.). For James to know that he will not react if he has soy (and he has had an accidental soy ingestion before), it was worth it. My husband would say it was worth it to have regular soy sauce (and hopefully, eventually, eat in real Chinese restaurants). It is something I think one should keep in mind before challenging a food. Is it worth it?

This is not a question the allergist discussed with us. He knew we were motivated. But, the reintroduction has not gone smoothly. During the challenge, James complained of stomach upset, but everyone thought it was from the amount of liquids he was drinking to wash away the taste of the soy milk. However, he has continued to have stomach upset and/or pain on consuming soy. He did not want to give up, so we have kept trying.

Forms we tried:

Tofu: James liked it the first time until he asked me what it was. When he heard it was fermented soybean, he said he felt sick. The next time, he adamantly stated he didn't like it at all. Orange Glazed Tofu and Hawaiian Tofu BBQ Bowls

Edamame: I personally love edamame with a little bit of sea salt. James said if he had to, he could swallow them like pills. Taking all those pills per day is coming in handy.

Roasted edamame: I thought they tasted like dirt. James said he could eat them if he was really hungry.

Soy Milk: Tried at the food challenge, never again.

Edamame Guacamole: This was a maybe. I need to play with the recipe a little more. I really jsut made guacamole and added in edamame.

Chocolate and Roasted Edamame Toffee: Darren and I liked it. James did not.

Soy Protein Cookies: made with sunbutter, very dry, used soy protein powder

Hot Cocoa with a teaspoon of soy protein powder in it: James said this taste foul and I believe him. It smelled foul.

And, finally success with;

Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I read here that you can replace 1/3 of the flour in a recipe with protein powder. So, I did. Now, it's been a long time since I have made wheat chocolate chip cookies, but none of us could taste any soy. They were delicious. And, he didn't get any stomach upset.

The biggest problem is that he has to eat 6 1/2 cookies to get a similar amount to what he had at the challenge. Well, this isn't a problem for him! I am going to try recipes that are slightly more healthy - muffins, pancakes, etc - and hope that this is the solution we are looking for.

My thoughts:

Allergists are always eager to broaden the diet and for good reason. Although James is considered tolerant now, he is not as tolerant as I expected. It is not the same as one who is simply not allergic. If he doesn't consume his allergen, he has a higher risk or reacquiring it. While this is not OIT - no measured doses, no rest breaks, and he can eat as much as he wants - it is not complete freedom either. He is somewhere in between. For all is other allergens, it will be easy to include them in his diet once he passes the psychological hurdle of eating them; he loved nuts prior to his allergies.

It is a factor that should be considered prior to challenging: how will you keep the food in the diet and how hard are you willing to work for it?